[TRIANGLE, VA.] United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today:

“The climate action plan outlined today by President Obama contains many lofty goals but nothing that speaks to the hardship and suffering his plan would cause to the lives of coal miners, their families and others in the communities where they live.

“It was disappointing that, as this initiative was being developed over the past several months, no one from the White House reached out to the representatives of the workers who will face the worst of the impacts of these proposals to get our input. I hope we will have that opportunity in the near future, before the language of the rules the administration is proposing is finalized.

“We continue to believe that coal must be part of a realistic path forward as a reliable source of energy in a reduced-carbon future. We are concerned that this plan fails to include the kind of incentives needed to build that path. That, too, will be a topic of discussion that we intend to have with the administration and members of Congress.”